Reprise of the Past
by ashangel101010
Summary: Challenge from Elememtal1000. Lately, Nivenna has been cancelling on Aivenna, which causes her goody twin to go and investigate.


Reprise of the Past

Suggested Theme:

Main Theme- All Things Beautiful by Nick Cave & Warren Ellis

It is a time of peace between the Tribes. Something that probably hasn't happened since the M'Arillions were first sealed behind the Doors of the Deep Mines. For Aivenna and Nivenna, it is a time of reconnection between two, long-lost twins. Have they buried the metaphorical hatchet of their first fight (and subsequent ones)? Not exactly, but they are both willing to forget about their fights, rather than apologize. Apologizing signifies someone's fault, synonymous for loss, and neither of the sisters want to admit fault to the other. One of the few traits that both sisters can agree on sharing is that they have pride. Most of their pride stems from their Tribes that brought them up. OverWorlders pride themselves in wisdom, friendship, and honesty. On the contrary, UnderWorlders pride themselves in deception, enmity, and secrecy.

Both Tribes frown upon eavesdropping for different reasons. To OverWorlders, it is impolite to eavesdrop in general. To UnderWorlders, eavesdropping is just another word for spying, which in turn warrants a beating for those caught eavesdropping. Aivenna wouldn't call what she was doing now as "eavesdropping" or "spying" as most Tribes would call it, but a chance to learn more about her secretive sister. For the past three weeks, Nivenna had to cancel their meetings for an excuse that Takinom needed her for a mission. Aivenna isn't a gifted liar, but Drabe has taught her to spot for signs of lying. For example, Nivenna's forehead would have sweat when the weather has been rather cool as of late in the Forest of Life.

Aivenna has enough wisdom to know that if she is going to follow Nivenna into the UnderWorld that she has to dress-up like an UnderWorlder. Her skin and hair isn't unusual to UnderWorlders, but her shining armor and blue colors are clearly OverWorld garb. She decides to don herself in black robes with a mask to hide her face. The last time she wore those robes were for the second funeral service in Kiru City for Tangath Toborn, but she got the mask from a vendor. She feels like she's working espionage, a field that requires skillful liars and sneaking in shadows.

The key is not to draw attention to herself, which actually works in her favor. UnderWorlders aren't chatty Creatures (especially Nivenna), so she doesn't have to greet people as they pass her by. All she has to do is keep quiet and follow Nivenna as silently as possible. Nivenna slips into the merchant's district. Drabe has told Aivenna many times not to judge a book by its cover, but the merchants wore gaudy jewelry and were so obnoxious to potential customers. Thankfully, no merchants tried to drag her inside their store, so they aren't too horrible.

Aivenna is curious to why Nivenna would actually need to go into the merchant's district because Nivenna isn't stopping to shop. She enters a deprecated, cobblestoned building where the windows were blacked out. For a brief blink, Aivenna almost thought Nivenna was going to a brothel, but then discards the notion as soon as she sees a family enter the building. Aivenna doesn't believe that UnderWorlders are amoral enough to allow families to take part in a brothel's illicit entertainment.

Aivenna also slips inside, but loses Nivenna. However, she does see the family that she was watching. The family is in line with about ten other people. Aivenna joins the line because she sees someone paying for a ticket. Immediately, she thinks that her sister is perhaps part of some sort of music show or a comedy skit. She's surprised since she couldn't imagine her sister as a kind of person to be funny or musical. Thankfully, she has enough money to pay for nosebleed seats, although they were the only tickets available. The teller doesn't tell her if the show is a concert or a comedy skit, and the tickets are just crudely numbered. She passes through the double doors and instantly finds her seat. She can barely see the stage, but, from the smell of dust and how uncomfortable the seats are, she knows this theatre is ancient but popular enough to be packed.

"Five minutes until the play begins!" A green, rabbit-eared Creature screeched out. Aivenna almost groans at the announcement. She hates plays, she truly and honestly hates plays. Her early schooling years when she went to an actual school consisted of annoying holiday plays that everyone was forced to participate. The rehearsals were a waste of time and bored her to tears as a child. However, she had to go through that suffering because every OverWorlder in Kiru City went through it too. Even Drabe, Intress, and Maxxor had to do it. Najarin probably didn't get to do it since he's probably as old as Perim itself. Lucky, old Muge.

What's worse, she has no idea what the play is even about. There wasn't even a playbill to give her some clue to the title or maybe if Nivenna was in it. She has went to plays with absolutely no idea what's it about because her friend happens to be in it. The plays that she has normally went to rely on over exaggeration, annoying monologues, and cheesy character interactions. It also didn't help that she saw the endings coming, even the tragic ones were fairly obvious. The only redeeming feature of most plays is that the music is fairly decent. However, Aivenna doesn't like UnderWorld music because it was loud and metallic. At least that's what she gleamed from the showdown between Accato and Dyrtax.

The lights go down, and Aivenna hopes that the play will go by quickly.

"'_Reprise of the Past' _is a two-act play consisting of a lost girl, a ghost, and the Cothica." Okay, so UnderWorlders just announce what their plays are about instead of make the audience figure out. At least, it's only a two-act play. Aivenna almost sighed. She hopes that the play won't be too spiritual when it comes to the Cothica. Personally, she doesn't think it's real because no one has ever seen it with their own eyes. Heptadd might've, but he isn't going to tell.

The lights, well really more of candlelight, come on the stage. There is a fog rolling out from off-stage and there is sad music. Aivenna can't see the orchestra, but she hears a bunch of string instruments being played softly. From off-stage left, Nivenna enters. She is wearing a lace dress with no slip underneath or shoes. Aivenna is fairly surprise at her twin showing some skin since Nivenna always seemed to prefer to be covered in her black armor. However, she does not enjoy seeing Nivenna's undergarments, but at least she's not completely naked. From off-stage right, a blue-skinned, muscular woman enters. She is wearing a dress of chainmail and her black hair is covering her ears except for the pointed tips. Aivenna is pretty certain that is Lyssta because she has seen her in a battle against the M'Arillions. Nivenna and Lyssta bump into each other on purpose.

"Watch it!" Both of them brusquely said to each other. Most of the audience lightly chuckled at the interaction. Aivenna somewhat joined the audience in response, but only because her sister sounded shrill. Nivenna and Lyssta did not try to beat each other up like Aivenna thought they would. Which is a shame, since any action or fight in a play tends to lessen Aivenna's boredom.

"Where are you going?" Lyssta tersely asked. Now, Aivenna is going to try and guess who is playing the lost girl and who is playing the ghost.

"Home. Where are you going?" Nivenna countered, while looking to the side as though she's expecting an ambush. Or maybe she's lost her way home? She could be the lost girl.

"Home, too." Okay, maybe Lyssta could be the lost girl.

"Home two? Rich enough to have a second home?" There is a sharpness behind Nivenna's play on words like her character is frowning upon Lyssta. However, she has a smart-alecky smirk. Aivenna smirks with her twin.

"Me, rich? You seem quite wealthy since you can afford all of that antiquated lace." Okay, Nivenna might be the ghost since Lyssta did point out that Nivenna's clothes are old. Or it was just an insult. It did garner some laughs from the UnderWorlders. Now, the strings fade out and are replaced with someone playing the keyboard.

"What about you? You're wearing very shiny chainmail. If you can afford chainmail, surely you can afford a Skeletal Steed." Both of them are smirking quite smugly at each other and begin to walk in place. Aivenna is getting the feeling that this will be one of those dialogue-heavy plays with some weird twist. She's going to have to pay attention to the dialogue to figure out which role her sister is playing.

"I don't need a Skeletal Steed to get home. Aren't you worried about dirtying your feet?" Aivenna is starting to wonder if she really should be paying attention to the dialogue. So far, Nivenna and Lyssta could be the ghost or the lost girl if dialogue is to go by. If she goes by clothes, Nivenna is most likely the ghost since her clothes look older than Lyssta's and her being barefoot could have something to do with why she's a ghost. Maybe she died of some disease in her bed. Or she was murdered. And then she hears the hooves of a Skeletal Steed beating against the floor off-stage. It sounds very much like a real Skeletal Steed.

"A Skeletal Steed? Is it coming this way?" Lyssta asked. Nivenna pauses and smiles as though she was waiting for this. Lyssta is still walking even though she clearly notices that Nivenna stopped. The Skeletal Steed whinnies quite loudly offstage to cause a few UnderWorlders, namely children, to cringe. Aivenna has to give the production credit for the very realistic sound effects.

"You should stop. It's quite disrespectful to the dead to not stop and think about them." What? So the ghost is offstage? Then, whose Nivenna or Lyssta supposed to be playing? One of them is the lost girl. But who is the other playing?

"I have to get home." Some of the children and elders murmured under their breath. Apparently, UnderWorlders are superstitious, which is contradictory to the atheism that they display. From her time with Nivenna, Aivenna knows that most UnderWorlders perceived the Cothica as a source of ultimate power to conquer all of Perim. Not some source of omnipotence and spiritual enlightenment like OverWorlders view it. The Cothica is just a powerful Battlegear or Mugic, not something incorporeal and unattainable.

"Last chance." Nivenna's voice dips as though she's being swallowed by darkness. Lyssta must be the lost girl. She's trying to go home, knowing that the ghost may kill her. The lights go out. And then from offstage right, a Skeletal Steed and its rider come bursting on the stage. They are on fire, but the flames are so black it looks like the darkness is flickering. Little children are screaming and clutching onto their parents. Aivenna is definitely not that bored anymore.

"I can't see!" Lyssta screams, while the Skeletal Steed stomps its mighty hooves. Is Lyssta going to be killed for not listening to Nivenna? That would actually be interesting, but who is playing the ghost? She can only make out a silhouette of black flames and piercing, purple pupils.

"Do you remember how long you've been walking?" Nivenna asked in such a deadpan tone that reminded Aivenna of the time she asked if Takinom was Nivenna's adoptive mom. Lyssta screams again when the flaming Skeletal Steed and its rider rear on her. At least that is what Aivenna imagined when she hears Lyssta scream again.

"I don't know! I just want to go home!" Lyssta sounds like she's about to run away in another few seconds.

"Fifty solons. I gave you a chance to stop, but you didn't. You only had to pause, be respectful for a minute, and your youth would've remained. But you didn't." The lights come back on, and Aivenna's eyes water while readjusting to the light. Half the audience gasps as Lyssta appears to be an old crone. She has silver hair, her skin is saggy, and there are so many wrinkles on her that she makes Najarin look like a child. What's even more surprising is that the ghost is Cyrenox. Aivenna nearly leaps out of her seat once she sees him because he's basically the incarnation of an OverWorlder's nightmare! It was like a magical skeleton got together with cursed armor to create Cyrenox!

"Help me! Please, help me!" By the Cothica, Lyssta sounds like she swallowed a bucket of dust and glass. She sounds so old! Cyrenox grabs Lyssta by the arm and hoists her on top of her horse. The strings and keys are playing together in a depressing reprise.

"I can't help you, for you see, you no longer exist." Lyssta cries out pathetically to Nivenna as Cyrenox drags her offstage. Nivenna looks very apathetic, not even a smug smile, a look that she has perfected and used frequently on Aivenna. The lights gradually fade out where the last thing seen is Nivenna's emotionless face.

"Act I is over. Now, on to Act II." The lights come on again, but there is no one on stage. The fog is gone too. There isn't any music. Aivenna is fairly confused. Did the actors miss their cues? Did the announcer made a mistake in time? No one is leaving their seats. In fact, everyone begins to turn to their neighbor and talk to one another. Her neighbor happens to be the most colorful UnderWorlder she has ever seen. Although, his face looks like a demonic scarecrow.

"I'm Illazar. Isn't it interesting that the Cothica is hardly dressed? Perhaps, it means the nature of the Cothica is obvious but still enshrouded in mystery." Illazar is particularly fast to get to his own opinion. He almost reminds Aivenna of Gespedan.

"Wait, Nivenna was playing the Cothica?" Now, Aivenna feels like a moron. She completely dispelled the Cothica role because she thought the narrator was the Cothica. She didn't think anyone would actually play the Cothica, let alone Nivenna.

"This is your first time to a play, isn't it?" Illazar is being fairly nice, which is odd because Nivenna would've mocked Aivenna for her ignorance right now.

"Yeah, I normally just train in my downtime." It's true and sounds like what an UnderWorlder would say. Well, in a non-violent way.

"Okay, most plays consist of two acts. The first act is basically the entire play, while the second act is where the audience is allowed to talk about what they think the play is about. Or go backstage to congratulate the cast. Or curse them." This is wonderful, now she can go backstage and see Nivenna.

"So I don't need a fancy invitation to go backstage or a bribery?" Illazar snorts and then smirks like Prantix.

"Theatre etiquette is much different from coliseum etiquette. No, you don't need a bribe. Just make sure you're not drunk when you talk with the actors." Nivenna laughs lightly at Illazar's jibe.

"Thanks, I've got to go. Hope to see you next time." Although, depending on how the conservation goes with Nivenna, this might be Aivenna's last play.

"Hope to see you too! I like women with scars!" Luckily for Illazar, Aivenna misses hearing that last part because she goes backstage with a throng of Creatures.

Aivenna has never been so aggressive in her life. She has to push through UnderWorlders who were quick in trying to punch her. She's pretty certain that she broke some Creature's nose in her foray to Nivenna. She makes it to the very front and notices that she lost her mask along the way. Also, backstage looks like a cross between a dungeon and some artist's studio. Nivenna and Lyssta are answering questions from the fans, while pushing some of them back for getting too close for comfort. Aivenna almost falls to the well-worn, stone floor by a fan that Nivenna pushed back.

"NIVENNA, IT'S ME!" Aivenna finally pushes her face through to see Nivenna. Her twin whispers to Lyssta and then pulls Aivenna from the crowd and to her dressing room. Aivenna presumes that Nivenna doesn't want anyone noticing how similar they looked. The dressing room has a large vanity mirror with a make-up desk and an engraved chair. There is a rack of dark costumes and odd prop pieces like a fence post.

"What are you doing here?" Nivenna immediately asks after locking her door. She does not look pleased.

"To figure out why you kept canceling on me." Aivenna replied bluntly. She can't lie to her sister who is trained to lie. And as an actress, she probably got even better at lying.

"And now you did. So what are you going to do with this newfound knowledge?" Now is peacetime, so they can't kill each other without reigniting a war between OverWorlders and UnderWorlders. They don't want war to break out. They actually like the free time that the peace provides them. Especially Nivenna.

"Well, I was kind of hoping to see you in plays more. I mean you seem pretty suited for it. Plus, I actually didn't hate this play and I have hated almost every play that I had to go to." It's true, the play wasn't terrible. It made her think. Plus, she met someone who was nice enough to explain what she just watched.

"Depending on how long the peace lasts, I might be able to actually act for the full season. I wouldn't be opposed to you attending from now on. But I would recommend wearing a better costume. I can't have my enemies knowing that I have a sister." Aivenna almost hugs her sister. Nivenna is actually worried about her safety! Nivenna is smiling, while Aivenna is grinning like she has won some contest.

"Does that mean I get free tickets?" Aivenna's eyes are shining with OverWorld enthusiasm. She really hopes those free tickets would allow her to bring a friend. Maybe Illazar. He seems knowledgeable and nice.

"Oh, sister of mine, the answer is no." Nivenna grins maliciously as Aivenna's enthusiasm dies out. She's won…this time.


End file.
